Itinerary

Embark/Disembark Port of Vancouver / British Columbia, Canada

Arriving at the Port of Vancouver each guest is personally greeted by Gertrude Byrne. The atmosphere at the terminal is welcoming with the sounds of live Irish music. After check-in and before boarding the ship you can enjoy a Champagne reception and a chance to mingle with other guests. When it’s time to go onboard, you will be met by your steward who will escort you to your cabin. This is only a hint of the service you will experience during your voyage.

Cruising the Inside Passage

Incredibly beautiful scenery. This is what Alaskan cruising is all about. The Inside Passage is a sheltered waterway between Pacific Coast islands that lends itself to calm, scenic cruising. These ae serene waters, where one moment you can be sailing a wide bay of barrier islands and the next you’re cruising through a narrow waterway flanked by towering forested walls. That’s the splendid spectacle of the Inside Passage – the scenery is constantly changing, from picturesque to friendly costal towns. The Inside Passage includes more than 1,000 islands, seemingly endless shore line and thousands of idyllic coves and bays.

Juneau, Alaska

Juneau’s most popular attraction (a good reason), the Mendenhall Glacier is a halfmile wide, with ice 300 to 1,800 feet deep. It provides some of the most spectacular landscapes in Alaska. Even more amazing, the glacier constantly moves and changes with the seasons — so no two visits are alike. Don’t miss the view from the visitor’s pavilion, which will only take about 90 minutes. You’ll be able to take some great photos, too. With a little more time, enjoy beautiful trails that get you up close to the glacier and its surrounding nature. The most rewarding is to see Nugget Falls. Imagine a very large, beautiful waterfall cascading directly into an iceberg-filled lake with a glacier in the background.

Skagway, Alaska

Skagway was the gateway to the gold fields for the thousands who flocked to Alaska and the Yukon with the hope of striking it rich. Skagway may have boasted the shortest route to the Klondike, but it wasn't the easiest. Over 100 years ago, the White Pass route through the Coast Mountains and the shorter but steeper Chilkoot Trail were used by countless stampeders. Many a would-be miner perished on the treacherous Chilkoot Trail. The gold rush was a boon and by 1898, Skagway was Alaska's largest town with a population of about 20,000. Hotels, saloons, dance halls and gambling houses prospered. When the gold yield dwindled in 1900, so did the population as miners quickly shifted to new finds in Nome. Today, while Skagway has lessthan 1,000 residents, it still retains the flavor of the gold rush era.

Scenic cruising Glacier Bay

Holland America Line has been exploring the pristine waters of Glacier Bay since before it was even a national park. Today, each ship that sails into these spectacular glacial fjords has ranger naturalists who board early in the morning and offer our guests a unique glimpse into one of the largest protected wilderness areas in North America. In an unprecedented effort to document the many unique splendors of this national treasure for our guests, Holland America has teamed up with the National Park Service to produce exclusive one-on-one interviews with Glacier Bay’sforemost experts on a wide range of fascinating topics. Radio personalities and hosts of our Art Tours, Paul Lasley and Elizabeth Harryman bring you inspiring insights into this land of scenic and natural wonders. They worked with the National Park’s rangers, scientists and naturalists who gave generously of their time to allow you this rare insider’s view into the science and wild beauty of Glacier Bay National Park.

Ketchikan, Alaska

This is a favorite port of call call! Ketchikan is known as Alaska's "First City" because it is the first major community Travelers come to as they journey north. Located on an Island, Ketchikan began life as an Indian fishing camp. In The early 1900’s when gold was Alaska’s claim to fame, timber and fishing industries were established in Ketchikan. Known’s the ‘Salmon Capital of the World’, Ketchikan is also the ancestral home of the Tligit people, Who carved the world’s largest collection of totem Poles. Take a canoe and nature trail excursion through The rain forest or a wilderness explorations with a Sumptuous crab feast you can’t resist. Sightseers will be Impressed with both the scenic town and its surroundings, especially Misty Fjords National Monument.

Vancouver / British Columbia, Canada

Many travelers extend their stay or incorporate a tour as part of the transfer. If you could watch the history of Vancouver as a time-lapse movie, you'd see the creation of a sawmill and a community that grew up around it, which then became the town site of Granville. Then comes the railroad, and development of the great natural harbor. Next, is a sudden linkage to the Orient, Eastern Canada, and Europe. Immigrants come, business blooms, and the skyscrapers rise up along Burrard Inlet, always with the mountains visible in the spaces between the buildings. Go for the galleries, boutiques, public markets, and restaurants of every flavor. Visit vibrant Chinatown and Stanley Park, with its 1,000 acres of forests, gardens, lakes and lawns in the heart of the city.

Testimonials

Thank you for the wonderful job you did in making our cruise a great success! It was such a success that we are planning to have our family reunion … read more

Thank you for the wonderful job you did in making our cruise a great success! It was such a success that we are planning to have our family reunion in 2017. The entertainment was amazing. We were so impressed with your personal attention to every aspect of the cruise. You sure no how to throw a party, we were so thrilled with your sail away reception and the scrumptious hors d'oeuvres to how festive the Lido Deck looked. Compliments were overflowing about the food and how delicious everything tasted. The staff is to be highly recognized as well, for the tremendous service they provided us. They were tentative to our needs, which certainly added to making our cruise one for us to remember.